Wanted: Detailing recommendations in Redmond/Bellevue area

Looking for recommendations for detailing places in Redmond/Bellevue (WA). I'd be willing to venture farther out (Woodinville, Sammamish, etc.) if there's a place that's really worth it.

My 2 seater is long overdue (I'm too lazy to wash and it's been mostly in the garage) and I figure it's a good opportunity to try out a couple places (once now, and once right before the Model S arrives).

Two goals:
(1) Get the current vehicle looking like it should
(2) Narrow down the 'go to' candidate for my Model S

For washing, I do it myself when I have time, but for cheaper hand washing and also the occassional cheap detail I use these guys: http://www.genesisdetail.com/

It's definitely not the high-end type of place, but I've never had a problem with it. I see all kinds of cars there from common stuff to some pretty nice BMW's and things, but I've never seen truly high end cars there. I would still be comfortable taking my Model S there but the tight parking lot does make me nervous. The reason I do like these guys is it's the cheapest hand wash within a reasonable distance, but that might be exactly what you are not looking for.

For the more expensive/enthusiast detail, I've used this guy who had a company called 3LG (3 Layers Gloss), but it seems he's not in business anymore (or he changed the name; I can't find it). I was pretty happy with it, but it was not in the area you're talking about. It was in Des Moines, but I was living in Seattle at the time. I chose him based on the numerous excellent reviews I found. I'm going to send him an email or perhaps try calling him tomorrow to see what the deal is, because that's who I would use. It wasn't cheap, but I think he put the most work into it, and oddly enough, I felt more comfortable going to a guy who was an enthusiast running this out of his (very nice) house rather than a shop with employees who may or may not care about your car, trying to do the jobs as quickly and profitably as profitable. I'm not saying you can't trust any larger detail shop. It's just that I felt it was harder to judge or trust these other shops just by doing web research.

I'm also interested in what others have to say.

The Redmon Auto Detail prices don't look bad for their more extensive services. It's quite reasonable given the local market. The only thing I don't like is that a basic hand wash + vacuum + windows is $30. Actually even that price isn't bad, but what I would like is an option for exterior wash only for $12.

I haven't personally used these guys yet, but friends have been using their services and rave about them. I'm going to take my Model S there and get a paint film wrap of the car. Originally I was going to go with Tesla's Paint Armor, but after talking with the guys at Metropolitan, I decided to go with their paint protection wrap:

I wonder what the mobile detailers do about their wash water. That's my hesitation on the mobile detailers.

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There are mobile detailers who use water reclamation systems. There are also methods of using very low amounts of water. Some mobile detailers are able to do car washes in underground parking garages, for instance.

I'm looking for a place with somewhat low prices for basic hand washes, but still treat the cars with great care. Karmichaels has a deal where you can pre-pay for 15 handwashes at about $17 each (+ a tip, I'm assuming). A few times a year I like to get a more expensive detail, and when the weather's good, I like hand washing the car myself, but when it's cold outside, I want to still keep the car clean. I don't mind going to a more expensive place to get a hand wash once in a while, but on a regular basis in the winter (weekly to bi-weekly), I'd like to spend less on a basic hand wash, like $20.

I haven't personally used these guys yet, but friends have been using their services and rave about them. I'm going to take my Model S there and get a paint film wrap of the car. Originally I was going to go with Tesla's Paint Armor, but after talking with the guys at Metropolitan, I decided to go with their paint protection wrap:

These guys are on the expensive side, but I believe with them you do get what you pay for. Friends have taken high end cars and continue to go back.

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I just got my car back from these guys. I did a full car wrap with the Xpel Ultimate film and all I can say is "WOW!" The car looks fantastic. I can hardly find a seam looking for one. There were a bunch of Model S vehicles there when my car was there (I think they are doing a lot of film application for Tesla service). I was really hesitant about taking my Model S anywhere because I just simply don't trust other people with that car :biggrin:. They took EXTREMELY good care of it and the quality of the workmanship is second to none. I agree that it isn't cheap, but you do get what you pay for and they are very much about customer loyalty. They'll take care of you for years to come if you need/want their services. I can't say enough good things about them. Ben and John (the owners) are there working with their employees, adding an additional level of comfort when leaving your car with them. I highly recommend them, even if you just want your car washed and vacuumed and don't have time to do it yourself.

I'm looking for a place with somewhat low prices for basic hand washes, but still treat the cars with great care. Karmichaels has a deal where you can pre-pay for 15 handwashes at about $17 each (+ a tip, I'm assuming). A few times a year I like to get a more expensive detail, and when the weather's good, I like hand washing the car myself, but when it's cold outside, I want to still keep the car clean. I don't mind going to a more expensive place to get a hand wash once in a while, but on a regular basis in the winter (weekly to bi-weekly), I'd like to spend less on a basic hand wash, like $20.

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Don't know what your top end is for "spending less," but Metropolitan Detail quoted me $35 for an exterior wash. Like I say, don't know if that's too much for you for a weekly wash, but at least you'd know they know how to care for the car. Just my 2 cents.

It's not cheap. You can contact Metropolitan Detail and they'll give you a price quote. As another poster above mentioned, however, you get what you pay for. The film is flawlessly applied. It took them a week to do it (which was a long time to be without my S!). They can do the whole front of the car, instead, if you want (and I think the whole rear bumper for an extra charge). I originally was going to just do the front and the back, but after seeing the Xpel demonstration and its "self-healing" features, I decided I'd go for the full wrap. It's expensive, but I never have to worry about swirls or scratches in my paint, as the film will take care of those on its own. Plus, Metropolitan will wax the car for free, quarterly, for the life of the film (not sure how that works if you just get a partial...not sure if they just wax the parts with the film or if they do the whole car).

Holy crap! Not sure if I can convince my significant other that it's worth $7500.

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Mine wasn't so keen at first, either, but after careful consideration, we decided it was a good idea. That said, too, this car is going to be with us awhile, so it may make more sense for us. If you plan on selling your Model S soon-ish, maybe not (although, supposedly you can get more for it in resale as the film can be removed by the next owner and they will have a brand new paint job...not a selling point for me, but something worth noting.)

All of that considered, $7,500 buys a LOT of waxes, washes, details, and polishes...

My wife and I had a discussion on this as well and it was a big commitment, but we went with the full wrap at Metropolitan for basically the same reason as buzzbuzz. We think we will be keeping the Model S for a long time (10+ years), so thought it would be worth it to protect the paint and help keep the exterior of the car in good condition. We were very happy with the decision after seeing just how good a job they did on the full wrap. Hey, if you amortize the cost over 10 years, that comes to about $750 a year. If you amortize it over 15, then the cost is about $500 a year. :smile:

All the waxes, washes, details and polishes in the world won't get you out of your first rock chip or door ding, which is what you are trying to avoid.

It would be awesome if you could post pics. Also, was the full wrap a one day job?

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That's absolutely correct...and ultimately why I decided for the wrap. I figured I could spend some cash upfront and keep the car looking new for a very long time, not to mention the time I can save in parking lots not having to drive to the very last spot to try to keep people from parking next to me :wink:.

I'll try to get pics up soon...I'm trying to get some time to take some (I'm hoping for tomorrow).

It took them a week to wrap the car (it was a very long week...hard to be without my S for so long...first world problems, I guess :biggrin. If they just do partial protection it can be done in a day or two, but the whole car takes them awhile. Not only did they wrap every painted surface (except for the inside of the side mirrors), they also wrapped the three plastic black pieces around the pano roof that, apparently, scratch really easily. Like I say, I'll try to post pics soon (hopefully tomorrow or Thursday).

Dang, I was hoping to spend $3-4k on a wrap, max, but to be honest, I don't even know what a baseline for the service is. I thought $3-4k seemed like a reasonable esitmate given that Metropolitan Detail's website says that a full front mask starts at $2200, and I figured that the front is generally the most complicated part to wrap.

I'm definitely willing to spend a good amount on a wrap since it's it will help keep the car 'as new' as long as possible (I already have a couple rock chips :crying: ), and I was definitely interested in Xpel due to the claimed self-healing properties. However, at $7500, the thing that concerns me is, how long can I go before it needs to be replaced due to wear? I mean, I don't know about Xpel, but other wraps will get damaged over time by rocks, etc. I mean, if this wrap is going to last five years, then I'm all for it (though I still think it's on the high side), but I definitely don't feel it's worth it for me, if the wrap will only last two years or something. If that's the case, I'd rather just get a cheaper one and replace it more often. I see that they claim that they have one of the best installers in the industry, and I do feel that it's worth it, even if they charge more for labor, if it lasts a long time.

I see that Xpel gaurantees that the film will not yellow, crack, or peel for 7 years, which is great. However, what about normal wear and tear from rocks, dirt, washing, etc? How long can I realistically expect the film to look great? Again, if it's 5+ years, then I think it's a slam dunk for me, definitely worth it. If it's less, then I'd have to think about it and weigh the options. Also, does "full wrap" include headlights, glass, and other non-painted surfaces?

Holy crap! I just re-read buzzbuzz's post about MD including quarterly waxes for the life of the film, which, if that is for 7 years, that is a great benefit! That definitely helps with the decision.

Thankss for the feedback about Metropolitan Detail's car wash by the way. I would definitely use their $35 service if it is top notch, though I probably would do it no more than once a month. Keep in mind that I actually enjoy spending a few hours cleaning my car in great detail, and my primary purpose in finding a cheaper place, at $15 or so is to get a wash in between when I am too busy or lazy, and also I like either doing quicker washes myself or getting a cheaper hand wash every 1-2 weeks, and then doing either my own really detailed, hours-long wash, or getting amore expensive professional wash less often, like once a month or maybe a little less than that. Of course, I do get the details with wax, etc too once in a while.

P.S. Has anyone heard of protective film for the wheels? I'm assuming that it would be an expensive custom job, but I would really want it. I already have small scratches on a couple wheels. It's not from curbing! I assume it's from something like small rocks hitting them while driving on the freeway.

Yup, Xpel guarantees for 10 years against fading, cracking, or yellowing.

I see that Xpel gaurantees that the film will not yellow, crack, or peel for 7 years, which is great. However, what about normal wear and tear from rocks, dirt, washing, etc? How long can I realistically expect the film to look great? Again, if it's 5+ years, then I think it's a slam dunk for me, definitely worth it. If it's less, then I'd have to think about it and weigh the options. Also, does "full wrap" include headlights, glass, and other non-painted surfaces?

Holy crap! I just re-read buzzbuzz's post about MD including quarterly waxes for the life of the film, which, if that is for 7 years, that is a great benefit! That definitely helps with the decision.

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The impression I get from the guys at MD is that the film, if taken care of properly, should last a very long time. As long as nothing penetrates the film, the self-healing process should work (in other words, it won't self heal if a rock actually breaks through the film, but otherwise it should continue to heal). That said, I understand this is a pretty new product and the guys at MD told me that they've seen what these look like after a couple years and they look great, but no one has seen what they look like after 5-10 years. Ben, the owner at MD, who has been doing this for 7 years, told me that this is the best product he has every worked with, so that gave me some comfort. And throwing in the quarterly waxes just makes it even sweeter.

The full wrap doesn't include the tail lights (it might cover the headlights, but I'm not sure). You can get them to cover the windshield for an additional cost.

Thankss for the feedback about Metropolitan Detail's car wash by the way. I would definitely use their $35 service if it is top notch, though I probably would do it no more than once a month. Keep in mind that I actually enjoy spending a few hours cleaning my car in great detail, and my primary purpose in finding a cheaper place, at $15 or so is to get a wash in between when I am too busy or lazy, and also I like either doing quicker washes myself or getting a cheaper hand wash every 1-2 weeks, and then doing either my own really detailed, hours-long wash, or getting amore expensive professional wash less often, like once a month or maybe a little less than that. Of course, I do get the details with wax, etc too once in a while.

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I had them wash my car last week for the first time...they did a fantastic job. The car looked absolutely fantastic inside and out (I had them vacuum, too). It only took them about an hour, which is substantially faster than it takes me because I'm OCD when it comes to washing the car.